Our world was a sight to see from space today.
Large low-pressure systems bookended Canada’s coasts on the first day of winter, bringing significant snows to the Maritimes while folks out west splashed through a parade of wet and mild conditions.
Here’s a glimpse at all the incredible features we witnessed swirling through the skies on this winter solstice.
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It’s a big day for the terminator, that cutoff between daytime and nighttime, as the line reaches its southernmost extent across the northern hemisphere.
The Sun’s direct rays shone directly on the Tropic of Capricorn (~23°S) at 4:21 a.m. EST on Saturday, and it’s now beginning its slow and steady six-month march back toward the Tropic of Cancer (~23°N).
Astronomical winter is no match for meteorological winter, though. We’ve been dealing with wintry weather here in Canada for more than a month now.
Folks throughout the Great Lakes’ snowbelt regions have seen their fair share of snow already this season. Extremely warm water temperatures throughout the five lakes have spawned wicked bands of lake-effect snow with each passing burst of Arctic air. November ended with more than 100 cm of snow falling in some communities.
This latest burst of cold air in the days leading up to Christmas unleashed another round of snow squalls off southern Lake Huron. However, conditions weren’t right for widespread snow. Instead, we saw ample fields of cloud streets streaming off the lakes as warm, moist air rose into the frigid air above.
Winds streaming behind that cold front flowed up and over the Allegheny and Appalachian Mountains, leading to vivid displays of organized wave clouds throughout the Mid-Atlantic states.
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A significant winter storm plastering the Atlantic provinces helped to pull that cold air across eastern North America.
Very heavy snowfall snarled travel throughout the Maritimes, where some communities had to shovel away 20-30 cm of snow on Saturday. Significant amounts of snow and ice continued to fall throughout Atlantic Canada as the sun set on the first day of winter.
Canada’s chilly winds don’t stop at the border. Powerful bursts of Arctic air can continue blowing straight into the Gulf of Mexico, where they dig into the tropics and unleash some mighty winds.
Cloud streets over the northern Gulf of Mexico reveal the direction of cold winds blowing south toward Mexico, leading to a classic Tehuantepcer wind event. These winds blow through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a narrow opening in southern Mexico that provides passage from the Gulf to the Pacific.
Cold winds dam up and press through this gap in the mountains, accelerating as they race into the Pacific with gusts that can easily exceed 100 km/h in the strongest events.
There’s plenty of action over in the Pacific Ocean, as well.
A parade of storms washing through the eastern Pacific will bring a raw and rainy spell of weather to British Columbia over the next few days. A very large low-pressure system dominating the northeastern Pacific is just one of several systems that’ll affect B.C. into next week.